No One Important
by Irhaboggles
Summary: Phillip is keen on having a reunion with Aurora once again, but Maleficent? Not so much...
1. No One Important

In the days to follow Stefan's death and Aurora's subsequent rise to power, the young Prince Phillip found himself enamored with Princess Aurora and her legendary tale. Even though they had only met once before, Phillip was interested in getting to see Aurora again and that was why, as soon as he was able, he returned to Aurora's kingdom in hopes of finding her once more. When he failed to find her in Stefan's castle, though, he set his sights to the Moors, where they had first met a couple months back. Admittedly, he felt silly riding through the trees in the off-chance that he might run into Aurora once again, but he still hoped that Lady Luck might favor him and allow him to find Aurora the same way she had found him those couple months ago… Besides, this seemed like the most logical place to find the girl. If she was not at Stefan's castle, then where else-?

_SNAP! _Phillip whipped his head around when he heard what sounded like a very large branch being broken behind him. Nothing.

"I must be letting my nerves get to me," he muttered to himself, ashamed at how easily he was scaring. He tried to boost his confidence and he urged his horse further along down the muddy path, but barely five seconds later, another loud noise startled him to life.

_CRUNCH! _It sounded like a large stone off in the distance had just been smashed to bits.

"Who goes there?" he demanded, drawing his sword. Even though he had only come to visit Aurora, he still decided to bring some form of protection just in case something befell him during his journey. Now, it looked like his precautious were about to pay off. "Answer me now and I will not harm you!" he continued to shout through the woods. But only a second after he'd finished this sentence, his sword suddenly began to _curl_. Like a scroll being wrapped back up, his sword's blade began to roll itself into a tight little wad. The prince's eyes went wide with horror and terror and he dropped his sword with a yelp as though it had burned him. But the terror was not over yet…

Instead, as soon as the sword hit the ground, it suddenly went shooting away from Phillip and his horse, disappearing quickly from sight. This sudden motion from the blade frightened Phillip's horse and it finally reared back. Although the sounds had scared it too, because they made more sense to the horse (stones and branches breaking in the forest were not an uncommon sound), it hadn't reacted too terribly. But that sudden flash of silver shooting off in front of it gave it a fright.

"Woah! Easy there! Steady now!" Phillip gripped the reigns tighter as he tried to calm his steed back down. Right before he managed to get it to stop bucking, though, a massive shadow flew overhead and the horse finally began to run in a blind terror.

"Woah! Woah! WOAH!" Phillip gripped the reigns frantically as he tried to slow the horse down. He was terrified too, but what he saw that the horse failed to grasp was a fallen log that they were approaching rapidly. If the horse wasn't careful, both it and its rider would go flying. Phillip tried to get the beast to at least slow down, but it was beyond reasoning now and it only continued to run.

"Oh no…" Phillip despaired softly, silently praying that he would survive… Then that was when the strangest thing of all happened. In the split second before Phillip's horse would've taken a fatal trip over the log, both it and its rider seemed to freeze completely, but they did not come to a jarring halt. Instead, even though the stop happened in under a second, it felt as if he had been eased into it, rather than abruptly halted. In the back of his mind, Phillip realized that he had felt this sensation once before…

_"I'm looking for a girl!" _he had been speaking to a large, horned woman who had given him the most curious of expressions in return.

"_Yes," _she had almost sounded amused before waving a hand in front of his face. Then he'd collapsed. His eyes went wide with the realization that it was, most likely, she who was tormenting him now. He wanted to say something, but it was as if his body and mind had turned to mush. They were no longer under his control. But then only a second later, the spell released its hold and Phillip was able to move and think clearly once more.

He still did not have time to speak, however, when a new threat reared its ugly head at him. Literally. One of the trees in the distance began to move, rising up and turning its wooden face towards Phillip.

"A tree warrior!" he gasped in terror, trembling like a leaf. The tree warrior made no move towards him, but it did not need to in order to scare the life out of him. That terrifying face, alone, was enough to render the poor prince powerless. He was infinitely grateful that the creature had chosen to stand still and merely glare at him rather than attempt to attack, but Phillip was still worried that even one small movement from him might set the creature off. What was he supposed to do now? Risk turning his back and fleeing? Or just wait in a silent standoff until something happened?

The answer was given to him not a minute later. A very fierce gust of wind suddenly struck him hard in the face, almost toppling him from his saddle. It was only by luck (or so he thought) that he remained atop his mount. But it was at this point that he finally got the hint. Instead of trying to run deeper into the forest, he immediately turned his horse around and they both fled the Moors in silent terror. There was no screaming or panicking, but both prince and horse left the forest with hearts pounding louder and faster than the horse's hooves as it fled.

"Hmm!" the one responsible for all the chaos watched Phillip flee with a sadistic smile spreading across her face. She flew silently after him, just to make sure he left the Moors completely, but as soon as he had crossed back over into the human territory, she turned back towards the Moors. Well! That had been fun! There was no better way to spend the afternoon than terrorizing that nosy little would-be suitor! She chuckled to herself as the image of his terrified face remained imprinted in her mind. Even long after he had fled the kingdom, she remained in good spirits.

"Who was that, Godmother?" Aurora asked once she caught sight of Maleficent returning to their little courtyard.

"No one important. Just a lost peasant," Maleficent replied with a shrug.

"You didn't hurt them, did you?" Aurora's curiosity turned to concern, not for Maleficent, but for her human victim.

"Define "hurt"," Maleficent shrugged again and pretended to ponder Aurora's question.

"Godmother!" the human girl sighed in exasperation. Maleficent's face melted into an amused smirk.

"Alright, Beastie, alright. No need to worry," she said. "I did not harm the human, only spooked them a little." Aurora heaved another sigh in response to this, she having never liked Maleficent's more sadistic pleasures, but because she knew Maleficent's word was good, she was able to rest assured that the human was ok. Mostly.

But she couldn't help but wonder who that peasant was. Even though Aurora remained mostly in the Moors, she occasionally served her human kingdom as well, and she wanted to know if the peasant might've been someone she knew.

"No. You would not have known them," Maleficent replied calmly. "It was no one important. No one at all." And even though Aurora had the sneaking suspicion that Maleficent was lying, she decided not to press the issue further.

**AN: Here you go, Qiralyn Cassette, Maleficent scaring Phillip. I can definitely see her doing this canonically. **


	2. Almost First Kiss

Although Phillip's first official (attempt) to visit Aurora hadn't gone so well, Maleficent could not keep trying to scare him off forever. Instead, there finally came a day when he managed to reach Aurora first and, after that, a friendship began to bloom between the two of them. There had always been a little spark between Aurora and Phillip, but once time entangled itself between them and that spark, it only grew into something even bigger and brighter. The two were very unalike, one being a prince raised in a castle with the other being a princess raised as a peasant in the Moors, but their interests and personalities ran similar lines.

As time passed and as Phillip's visits to Aurora became more and more frequent, they began to understand just how alike they were, in terms of temperament and hobbies. They were both fond of the outdoors. They were both playful, cheerful, friendly and open-minded. They were both somewhat athletic (even though Phillip's training had come from the captain of the guards rather than the creatures of the wild). They both liked to talk, sing and dance. They both were interested in peace between fairy and humankind.

And then as even more time passed, they found another commonality between themselves. They were both in love with each other. It finally happened that Phillip felt ready to initiate their first (real) kiss, taking it slow and steady and making sure they were both comfortable.

"We've known each other for almost a year now and I think I can truly say that I have come to care for you. Deeply! There has been no other woman who has understood me quite the way you have. Sure, many of them are wonderful people, but they do not have the same flare or taste for adventure or thirst for justice that you do…" Phillip continued to speak to Aurora, fumbling through a long, awkward, well-meant compliment before preparing himself to initiate the kiss. Aurora, meanwhile, looked up at him with wide, adoring eyes. She may not have had much human contact outside of Phillip, but she was not stupid. She knew very well of human rituals and customs. She knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what he wanted, but that was ok. She wanted it too…

"Oh no they don't!" Maleficent growled as she watched Phillip and Aurora link hands, faces drawing closer and closer together.

"Mistress, maybe you ought to let them be," Diaval whispered back nervously. "They've been friends for almost a year. Phillip has proven himself to be patient, gentle and kind. It wasn't like he developed feelings for her over one night!"

"I don't want that imbecile anywhere near my Beastie! Especially not like that!" Maleficent replied, still looking close to snapping. "I don't care how long he's waited. Remember that Stefan waited for years with me!"

"But he's not Stefan, Mistress," Diaval pleaded, placing a gentle hand on Maleficent's shoulder. Although he knew all too well why Maleficent held such a dislike and distrust for Phillip, Diaval was trying to get her to see that the choice was not in her hands this time. Sure, she was allowed to have an opinion and have some minor input on the matter, but this was _Aurora's_ choice, not hers.

"She does not know what she is getting herself into!" Maleficent shook her horned head angrily. "She is far too innocent!"

"But she's not stupid," Diaval continued to remain calm and gentle, advocating for Aurora, but Maleficent wouldn't have it.

"Nor was I. It is not a matter of intelligence, Diaval. Sometimes these humans can be wicked and devious beyond all comprehension, and brains have nothing to do with it! I only want to keep Aurora safe, is that so wrong?" she turned to him with a patronizing look, trapping him with a question he could never hope to answer right. Instead, he only heaved a frustrated sigh as he felt Maleficent rise up. They'd been stalking Phillip all day and now it seemed like Maleficent was finally ready to strike. Diaval rubbed his temples while Maleficent went on ahead.

While he watched from the trees, Maleficent crept closer and closer to the unsuspecting couple. Right before they were about to kiss, however, Maleficent finally spoke up and made her presence known to them.

"Well, well! What an awkward sitaution!" she gave them both a cruel smile and while Phillip jumped away from Aurora as if he'd been singed, Aurora only heaved the same tired sigh Diaval had just mere seconds ago. She was all too used to Maleficent's antics regarding Phillip.

"Godmother!" she chided tiredly.

"I was simply passing through," Maleficent replied with a mock innocent smile. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything?"

"Actually, you kind of-" Aurora began, but Phillip cut her off.

"Not at all," he said, trying to hide his fear behind a calm and respectful expression. Maleficent could at least admire him for _trying_ to put on a brave face, even if she knew how he was really feeling at the moment. "I was just saying goodbye."

"Ah. Well then. Goodbye," Maleficent smirked and Phillip gave her an awkward little bow before not-so-subtly turning around and running. While Maleficent watched him run with a smirk, Aurora only sighed and shook her head.

"Godmother!" she chided again.

"What?" came that same mock innocent tone.

"We were about to have our first kiss! Almost…"

"I know. Dreadful," Maleficent was egging Aurora on now, pretending to shudder in horror at the idea, though the horror was not entirely false.

"Godmother," Aurora crossed her arms and her frown deepened, but Maleficent only shrugged again.

"Well, with him gone, we had best we off! There is nothing left for us now that he has departed. Come along, Beastie! We have a kingdom to look after!" she instructed, extending a hand to Aurora. With nothing else to do, Aurora was forced to comply, but she did turn around one last time to get a final look at Phillip. He had turned around as well and when their eyes met, they both smiled. Maybe they would have better luck next time, but for the time being, Aurora would be content with their Almost First Kiss.

**AN: marycamp, here's Maleficent being a jealous, smug little thing, interrupting her Beastie's first kiss.**


End file.
